Homemade Ranch Dressing

Growing up in California, you eat a lot of ranch dressing. Ranch dressing is a permanent part of the California food culture, and it certainly was a part of mine as a little girl. I admittedly took it a little too far as a child, refusing any other kind of salad dressing, dipping everything from carrots and chicken tenders to French fries in the stuff. French fries with a side of ranch. Now that is quite possibly my absolute favorite way to eat ranch dressing, with fried artichoke hearts running a close second. In California, ordering French fries with a side of ranch, doesn’t bat an eye. Up here in Oregon, 90% of the time you are accommodated, but try ordering that in the Midwest, and then wait for the strange looks. In Europe, well forget about it, they don’t serve ranch there….I am glad nobody told me ranch dressing wasn’t as widely available everywhere else in the world back then, because at that age, I might never have left…..

Has all this talk of ranch dressing made you want some? Well I hope so, because it is ridiculously easy. I wish I had known how to make some years ago, I could have cut down on the home sickness! Homemade ranch dressing is also much better than that stuff from Hidden Valley.

I “borrowed” this recipe from the Gluten Free Girl , who had borrowed it from somebody named “Cookiecrumb” and I am sure Cookiecrumb borrowed it from somebody else, it is after all just a basic ranch dressing, classic and at its best.

Makes 3 cups

1 Cup buttermilk
1 Cup mayonnaise
1 Cup whole fat yogurt
1 Teaspoon dried dill
1 Teaspoon dried oregano
1 Teaspoon dried garlic
1 Teaspoon kosher salt
1 Teaspoon pepper
Juice of ½ a lemon

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Pour into container and refrigerate. Let dressing sit for 1 day before eating, this allows all the flavors to blend together! (This is important! Leave it alone, or it won’t taste right!) Serve with anything and everything =)

These veggies are just begging for some Ranch lovin!